Super Rugby

Reds confirm 2018 Super Rugby squad

The Queensland Reds have confirmed their Super Rugby squad and coaching staff for the 2018 Super Rugby season which begins in February.

Joining the Reds coaching staff for the first time in 2018 will be former Queensland and Wallabies winger Paul Carozza, who has spent the last 15 years in various coaching roles at Ballymore, most recently as assistant coach with 2017 National Rugby Championship winners Bond University Queensland Country and the undefeated Queensland U20s.

Carozza will join newly appointed Head Coach Brad Thorn and recently appointed Assistant Coach Tony McGahan to form the coaching team for 2018.

The 2018 Reds squad features 10 new signings, seven of which have been selected from Queensland Country following their grand final win in the National Rugby Championship, including Wallabies Spring Tour development player Liam Wright and NRC leading try scorer Filipo Daugunu.

Heading to Ballymore for the first time will be former Brumbies and Stormers prop JP Smith, along with NSW Country Eagles hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.

A number of players have also been promoted from within the Reds pathway, including young locks Angus Blyth and Harry Hockings, back rower Angus Scott-Young, flyhalf Hamish Stewart and scrumhalf Tate McDermott. In total, 83% of the 2018 squad have emerged from Queensland pathway programs.

Six players have been re-signed ahead of the 2018 season, including recent Wallabies debutant Karmichael Hunt, as well as Queensland Country standouts Caleb Timu, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Duncan Paia’aua, Izaia Perese and Eto Nabuli, who was also the Reds leading try scorer in 2017.

Twenty players have been retained from the 2017 squad, including Wallabies Lukhan Tui, Izack Rodda, Samu Kerevi, James Slipper, George Smith, Scott Higginbotham and Taniela Tupou.

Queensland Reds head coach Brad Thorn said: “We’re excited to have Paul (Carozza) joining the Reds coaching staff, after providing me with good support in the Queensland Under 20s and with Queensland Country. He’s got a long history in Queensland Rugby and he is passionate about driving success at the Reds.

“We’ve managed to keep a fairly consistent squad for 2018, but we’ve also rewarded a lot of new players for their hunger and hard work throughout the 2017 season. I’m pleased to see them get their opportunity to be part of the Reds squad.

“It’s good to be back at Ballymore and into the thick of pre-season. We’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’re excited by the challenge. Everyone you’ll see in Reds colours in 2018 will have worked extremely hard to get there.”

Paul Carozza joins the Queensland Reds as an assistant coach for the 2018 Super Rugby season, after successful support roles with the undefeated Queensland U20s and NRC champions Bond University Queensland Country in 2017.

Carozza brings 18 years of coaching experience to the job and has been based at Ballymore in a range of roles for 15 years, including with the Reds Academy from 2008 to 2011 and the Australian Rugby Union National Academy from 2012 to 2013.

His playing days saw him enjoy Bledisloe Cup and Super Rugby success, claiming the former with a two-try performance against the All Blacks at Ballymore in 1992 and winning Super 10 titles with Queensland in 1994 and 1995. He represented Queensland 94 times and the Wallabies 15 times.